


Buckle Up

by Savanna (orphan_account)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Adult Peter Parker, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Feelings Realization, Good Peter, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Pining, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Tony Angst, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-23 16:08:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19704823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Savanna
Summary: Life's saying to practically everyone is "Buckle Up"; Tony Stark knew this best. Life had thrown many things at him well before he ever became Iron Man. He was spending a good portion of his life correcting past mistakes and preventing future mistakes, but knowing what the future holds isn't easy, and sometimes there's things in the past that you can't escape.Or, Tony's pining for Peter and he keeps it under wraps until he can't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There isn't any interaction between Tony and Peter in this chapter but there will be in the second! I appreciate the patience.

Tony wasn't afraid to admit, to himself, that he loved messing with Peter sometimes.

It was evident when he had first met Peter; making a comment about the boy being a dumpster diver, and several comments about the boy's onesie with the near-blind goggles. Tony knew though, that seen in a different light, it was simply the only way he knew how to communicate with the kid at the time- how could he show up suddenly at his little apartment and just straight-out ask him to come with him to Germany? Without sugarcoating it, or easing into it, the only way he knew how?

Tony had realized that this was often how he operated. Maybe Rhodes knew this best; the quips and remarks, pokes and jabs, sarcastic replies. Pepper knew this too of course, god bless her.

It was truly a coping mechanism, aided and pushed by his own personality. It helped him through awkwardness, anxiety, anger, bitterness, and even fear. And all of these had contributed to it on that day, when Tony desperately needed someone by his side after losing more than half of everything he had ever cared for, and realized "I'm about to drag this boy into a war." Or two wars, depending on what snippets of time you're looking at.

Much later, long after everyone was brought back from the snap and everything was trying to return to normal, he didn't have to use this coping mechanism on Peter so much. They were both learning things about each other, and eventually it wasn't out of anxiety or anxiousness but endearment and simple happiness that brought sarcastic quips and playful jabs.

Tony realized it was a little dangerous.

After getting Peter back it had taken a long time for them both to cope, as things had been complicated for the both of them. Tony wanted to protect Peter even more, but the mentor in him reminded himself that Peter had to do things on his own. Tony wanted, in all honesty, for Peter to move in at one of his vacation homes, but he couldn't let himself have that and he wouldn't deprive life experiences from the kid. It was an odd mess of back and forth between the extremes of "I don't want you out of my sight" and "I don't want you beside me", a mess which Tony and Peter had argued about a few times until the two dinguses finally understood each other.

And when they finally did, they had fallen into place; they both had what they needed, Peter a mentor and safe place to reside if need be, Tony a mentee and safe person to invest all his hopes in. It was immensely beneficial to the both of them.

It lasted about seven months.

The dangerous part was that they had fallen out of place. Tony couldn't figure out what caused it besides the grand destroyer of all things: time. The situation oddly reminded Tony of a rickety ride at a county fair he attended as a kid, one in which you felt perfectly safe and in place in your seat until the ride started spinning vertically. Maybe it had been because he weighed nothing as a kid, but he had felt himself rise out of his chair a few times more than he would've liked.

They were on that ride, and it had been only a matter of time before the floor had gave way. Tony hadn't noticed it at first because he hadn't been looking for anything, but then it was clear in front of him and Tony wished it wasn't. 

In his youth, he had viewed things as most teenagers would: if the person was attractive, he liked them, and that didn't exclude people of his own gender. In more recent years, he viewed it as more of mere acknowledgement and respect, that "Hey, this person is attractive and I can appreciate that. Good for them." There was Steve Rogers himself, for example, and several others both close to him and not that Tony knew. There had been Bucky Barnes, even, in which Tony had acknowledged that with care to his hair and some restful sleep would look quite handsome.

He wasn't painting a good picture for himself, he knew, but he didn't mean it as him liking anyone he ever acquaintanced himself with. That mentality had been abandoned way way back, by 2006 at least. Not that Tony had exactly 'put on the new personality'.

What was 'clear in front of him' was that Peter Parker had grown up not just mentally but physically. Peter was twenty and his body had adjusted with that, and it suited him really well. He was taller and bulkier yet toned- that aside, Peter's face had adjusted too. He was handsome, but, also just really pretty. Tony acknowledged it, respected it. The mistake was admiring it.

This ride they were on seemed fast but painfully slow at the same time. What made it worse for Tony and his ever-restless mind was that Peter had still been in high school until only a few months before his 20th birthday. Those who were snapped had been gone for nearly two years, and by many laws were required to do things such as finish school even if they were supposed to be graduated. Or, had to wait another year and so to drive legally even if they were of age by now. Luckily, Peter had all his friends with him to finish his fourth year of high school. Tony had actually advised early graduation, as Peter was brilliant and certainly capable of it, but Peter declined. Morals and loyalty, something Tony mocked but actually admired. The coping mechanism, back at it again.

He had to remind himself that Peter was 20 and not a kid anymore...but the fact that he had to remind himself of this really worried him. It had shocked him, honestly. Despite everything, had he really reverted back to old thinking that "he's attractive" automatically led to "I want to fuck him"?

No, Tony told himself, and only time knew if he was telling the truth or lying through his teeth.


	2. Chapter 2

He had kept it under wraps until he couldn't. Tony made sure to maintain things as they had been, to not be too distant and certainly not too close. They still relied on each other, talked to each other, visited and worked in the lab and saved the world together. Yet, he realized that it was slowly breaking. Tony had always feared something like this would happen, not with Peter necessarily but with...someone. It just seemed natural to who Tony was, even through all his hard work of becoming someone better than the universe thought him to be. And the universe knew that he was still trying, still giving it all he got despite knowing the only real way to stop it was to push Peter away. 

Apparently, a small part of him had listened to that idea he hated so much, because his fight was over after about a month. Peter had noticed that Tony was acting differently, was becoming distant. Peter hadn't noticed why, though, and that made it so much more difficult. The poor young man was still naive despite the rest of him maturing- had been naive about MJ liking him back in sophomore year, had probably been naive about anyone else who had ever liked him, and was naive now about Tony.

Peter had brought it up when they were at May and Happy's wedding, of all places. Maybe Peter wanted to distract himself from what the marriage meant for him and his aunt as a family, but this topic wasn't exactly the best one to choose. Tony wished Peter had just complained to him about the hot weather instead, or how the flowers that were placed beside each bench was giving everyone allergies. 

"You've been acting a little stand-offish," Peter had whispered from beside him. "And distant."

"I'm sorry, did you want me to sit on your lap?" Tony replied. Damn coping mechanism and his sarcastic nature- he hadn't meant to sound bitter, either.

If Peter made a face, Tony didn't see it because he was purposely staring straight ahead at Happy who was reciting his vows. Tony didn't want to be bitter at a time like this, and shouldn't Peter be focused on May? He shifted in his seat and looked at Happy with more purpose, tuning in to what he was saying.

Only for Peter to nudge his arm and whisper, "You know what I mean. Was it something I did? Or do you just not like me because my aunt isn't up for grabs anymore?"

Tony would have snorted if he hadn't felt guilty and upset that Peter's first instinct was that he had done something wrong. That, and someone behind them whispered, "Is that Tony Stark? He actually came? I though May was just being crazy." Tony turned his head and gave Peter a 'be quiet' look. The last thing he wanted was for him and Peter to be a distraction, and at a wedding no less. 

Peter sighed but went silent on the matter, for the moment at least. Vows were exchanged, and a kiss, and everyone stood up to hurriedly clap and then escape from the heat. May went to get changed from her elegant wedding dress to a shorter, easier-to-walk-in one. Happy took control of the seating and getting people in line for food despite it being his own wedding. May's cooking club friends sat in the corner and chattered among themselves about how beautiful May looked and how excited they were for people to taste the food they had made. Tony collapsed at a table in the opposite corner, leaning back in the folding chair and removing his tinted glasses so he could see inside the building. To his dismay, Peter took a seat next to him.

"Now you're avoiding _everyone_ ," Peter said, and Tony had to give him that.

"This isn't the time to discuss it," Tony replied. "Th-"

"There isn't _any other_ time to discuss it! I'm not going to have what seems to be a lengthy talk over a call, while webbing up bank robbers or something." Peter leaned towards him, and lowered his voice. "Tony," Peter said, and Tony had to look at him because how could he not when Peter addressed him like that, "what's going on? Are you planning to cancel our meet ups or something?"

"Of course not," Tony said immediately, perhaps a little too quickly. He and Peter both seemed shocked by it. Tony took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Pete, I understand. I've been distant, and we can talk about it- we _will_ , but right now you should be over there with your aunt telling her how happy you are for her. And you should tell her how you feel a little off about the wedding, because if you don't talk to her about it she isn't going to know how you feel." He watched as understanding dawned on Peter's face, and added, "And I should be over there congratulating Happy, and making him promise to look after you."

Peter made a worried face like 'please do not', but he was smiling ever so slightly as he stood up from his chair. "Do _you_ promise?" Peter asked. "To talk about it later, I mean."

When Tony said "I promise", he meant it for both of those things.

The next time they talked to each other was when their next meet up was scheduled, a week later. Peter usually arrived whenever he could or felt that it was fine too. This time, he arrived at six in the evening. He hadn't come over late like this in a while, but it was refreshing in a way. Tony actually had the time to clean the place up a little and also get some things done that he wanted to do alone, and Peter had been busy patrolling, so it all worked out in the end. 

But the situation wasn't okay, because Tony still had a problem and there wasn't a way to avoid it now. Even when they worked on something together, they rarely fell into complete silence. Peter in the past talked about school and friends, now he talked about life and deeper things. Tony had listened, but he realized how Peter had matured and it was nice to talk to someone about problems of life. However, this time they wouldn't be talking aimlessly, and Tony's anxiety had been through the roof all day long thinking about it.

When Peter arrived, he was in his spidersuit still as he climbed through one of the windows on the top floor. He had told Friday that it was easier and quicker than the front door, who had relayed it to Tony, so Tony wasn't surprised when a mass of red and blue landed in front of his feet. Peter stood and ripped his mask off, and something in his expression was off but he still smiled eagerly like always. "Hi Tony," he greeted as he shoved the mask into a small pocket hidden by the thick red seam that went around his hips. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair in an attempt to straighten it, but he hadn't had straight hair since he was fifteen and in Germany.

Tony liked the natural curls, anyway.

"Hey Pete." He couldn't stop himself from checking the suit for tears or the young man for scratches. He saw the webshooters and said, "How is the new formula holding up?"

"It's working really well. It dissolves slower but that's fine...That's kind of the point of putting nanotech in it." Peter fiddled with one of them for a second. "It's stronger, which helps on slippery surfaces. It's been raining like crazy recently." That fact was evident by Peter's damp suit. Peter proceeded to rant about it as they walked to the elevator, and while they took it down to the base level to the lab, and even while they walked into the lab. It was nice, Tony thought. It was normal.

While Tony grabbed himself coffee from the fresh pot he had made, Peter grabbed a bag Tony hadn't noticed until now from under one of the work stations and disappeared behind one of the filing cabinets. Tony took a sip of his coffee and stood there waiting for an explanation. It came when Peter stood out from behind it, not in his suit but in sweatpants and a band shirt. "...How long has that been there?"

Peter smiled sheepishly as he threw his damp suit on a table to dry. "Uh, a few weeks. Kept it there in case my suit got damaged or something." He took a seat on one of the stools and stretched his arms out, groaning. "It feels good to wear normal clothes. I've been in that suit nonstop."

Tony glanced at Peter's muscles as he stretched, and he wondered exactly when Peter had gained even more muscle mass. He topped his coffee off, then sat down across from him. "Should I order us dinner?" he asked when he caught Peter looking at the clock.

Peter's eyes lit up. "Yes please, I'm starving actually. Can we get Chinese food this time?"

Tony nodded and glanced towards the ceiling. "Friday? Our usual orders."

It was decided after ordering food that they were going to work on Tony's project this time around. Peter was happy to, not caring what as long as he could do something. Tony got everything set up, and they began working on it. Tony filled Peter in on everything about it, and what the problem was, and they brainstormed for a good hour. Peter was starting his third quart of fried rice when they stopped to take a break, which usually happened after they discovered something but got stuck, and this case was no different. While Peter ate, Tony leaned his arm on the table and nursed lukewarm coffee. He simply watched as Peter used chopsticks and was somehow able to shovel rice into his mouth without spilling it everywhere. A piece did get stuck at the corner of his mouth, but Tony wasn't going to mention it, and it was good that he didn't because Peter realized it was there and licked it off. Or maybe it was bad that he didn't, because now he was thinking about his mentee's tongue.

Peter seemed so distracted by his meal that what he said surprised Tony; "You sat across from me, again."

"We each needed room to work," Tony tried.

"The table is plenty long for us to sit on the same side, and I don't mind sharing workspace." Peter set the carton down and wiped at his mouth. "Can we talk, now?"

"We've been talking since you got here," Tony dared, speaking into his coffee cup. He knew that wasn't fair of him.

Peter, not having the patience, reached over and slammed his coffee cup down onto the table. Some of the coffee splashed onto Peter's hand but he didn't retract it. He stared Tony in the eye, "Just cut it, already. Something's wrong and I want to know what it is. You never deny the reasons I suggest so I can't even narrow it down. Just tell me, okay?"

Tony's chest tightened. This was it, the moment where everything went wrong and all those years of work went to waste. He knew it was going to happen, but knowing that couldn't exactly stop him from dreading it. His mind hadn't wanted to accept it, deep down. Because Tony had wanted to be wrong about himself- but the thoughts about Peter's tongue was evidence enough. He had pushed Peter away by accident, but accidents still affect people, and Tony was going to pay for letting it get worse. 

If he was being honest with himself, he had never acted on it, not even when he was alone in his bed at night and his mind refused to stop racing. That was about the only credit Tony could give himself. He'd be lying if he hadn't thought about things, though- especially after a call where Peter was rambling cutely, or a day in the lab and Peter was covered in grease and intently listening to every single word Tony was saying, or out saving a city and using each other's strengths to stop whoever or whatever was causing trouble. He had really gone downhill, he knew, but there was something about Peter in all these instances that he couldn't help but love and want.

Peter was simply himself, Peter Parker, and now that there wasn't a war to fight or a lost one to grieve over, Tony had really seen Peter as himself. He liked that, a lot.

There was nothing to distract Tony, and that had proved to be his downfall. There hadn't been old allies to fight with, hadn't been a lingering darkness that plagued his thoughts, hadn't been an alien to tear Peter away from him. These things were all great to not have, but the universe had a weird way of twisting stuff like that.

He wondered if he could have done more. But really, he couldn't have thinned their visits down because they already didn't see each other much. It just would've pushed Peter away faster and harshly. He sometimes thought what would happen if he had told Peter up front, as soon as Peter questioned anything, but he came to the conclusion that it would have made everything worse for them. It just seemed like this path was the only one available; that this ride wouldn't change, not even for Tony Stark.

Peter was brilliant and full of potential, and he had a way of making people like him even if they had for whatever reason detested him at first. Tony was certain that he was going to lose that by answering the young man's questions. It hadn't been the first time that Tony's feelings jeopardized his work with someone, but it had been a long time, and Tony couldn't remember just how bad it always ends up hurting.

The room was quiet.

The coffee cup had been let go of. It stayed there on the table among numerous spare parts, tools, and miscellaneous from a long forgotten project. A wrench that had been doing a balancing act on the edge of a car part suddenly toppled over to the floor, and Peter went rigid at the sudden and loud noise. Tony could see his body stiffen from the corner of his eye while he stared down at tangled wires.

"None of the things you said were the reason why," Tony began, speaking gently. He watched as Peter's tensed body relaxed a little. When Peter looked up, Tony maintained eye contact. He deserved that, at least. He continued, speaking slowly with caution, "It's not your fault at all, kid. I want you to know that."

Peter frowned, concerned. "Are you going to blame yourself for everything again?"

"Yes, because it really is all my fault this time. Just listen to me. You and I have been through a ton together, and it's brought us together and I appreciate that even if I can't do anything to have brought us together differently. I really like having you here, like having you on the team,-" _l like having you_. "-love to be able to help you with suits and advice and anything you need. But you've matured a lot and you can handle a lot on your own, and I think maybe you should try being on your own, in light of recent events-"

"I've already been on my own," Peter interjected, and it cut through Tony like a knife. "I was before you met me. I was when a building was crushing me, or when you were over in India, or when a lizard man tried to terrorize New York. I made it out alive and fine. I mean, from a certain standpoint I'm on my own every single day. But it is a lot more fun and meaningful with you. I like doing all that with you." Peter crossed his arms. "So, you just don't want me, then?"

_The opposite, really._

"I didn't say that. I didn't say that at all. Why don't you listen to me before saying something? I-"

"Because you're taking way too long to say what you're feeling and I'm worried!" Peter blurted, louder than he meant. "You've shortened our calls, you don't reply to like half of my texts, you don't act the same way around me, and you keep being distant not just emotionally but physically. I mean _of course_ I wonder if it's because of me."

Tony rubbed his temple and sighed. "It is because of you, but it's not your fault."

Peter stared at him, upset and confused. "Do you still have nightmares about me dying? Because I have those too, and I feel guilty about it, but I _never_ distanced myself from you because of it."

"I- We're definitely coming back to that," Tony pointed sternly, "but no, it's- It's just you. Well, it's me and how I can't act right around you." Tony hated how the words came out of his mouth. He stood up quickly and began to pace, his heartbeat quickening.

He didn't want to beat around the bush for forever, and he definitely didn't want to sound like some teenager confessing a crush. He took a deep breath, held it, then said: "Peter you're twenty now, you've grown up and matured. You're not some scrawny teen I recruited anymore, you're this," -he gestured at him- "and over the years and through everything my view of you continues to change."

He glanced to see that Peter had an unreadable expression. 

"I view you now in a way that isn't appropriate or good for us. That isn't good for you. I'm just supposed to be a guide, and to be help for you. I'm not- Viewing you like I'd view a cute guy I met at a expo isn't right, but it is how I feel, so I had to push you away."

Tony let out breath he didn't know he had been holding. And then he couldn't breathe in when he saw Peter's expression.

Peter almost looked like he was 15 again and confused, having that same expression as when he was talking about responsibility and couldn't look Tony in the eye.

Peter could look him in the eye now, and it hurt Tony way more this time.

"...Pete?"

The young man blinked, then slowly rose to his feet and grabbed both the bag and his suit. "I- I think I should go?" He sounded uncertain, but then he let out a tiny, wavering "yeah." He stumbled over boxes on the floor as he tried to inconspicuously rush to the lab door. "Uh, bye." He opened the door wide and ran into the hall, and winced when the door slammed shut behind him.

Tony stared at nothing for a good while. Then he looked down and saw that Peter had dropped his mask on the way out.

The room was quiet for a few minutes, until Friday piped up: "Should I call up the Colonel or Miss Potts?"

Tony leaned hard against the table and sat back down in his chair, legs shaking and heart racing. He didn't answer, instead staring at the mess in front of him- and for some ironic reason, right in that moment he found the solution to his project.


	3. Chapter 3

They didn't talk for a month. Tony's calls and texts went ignored. He couldn't check the spidersuit camera feeds since Peter had dropped the mask. Tony was going to resort to hoping he was home with May, and that he was doing okay, but then Tony realized that he could ask Happy.

Happy didn't know much, as Peter had gotten himself an apartment a few weeks before the wedding, but when Happy had called him Peter seemed more or less fine. That didn't give Tony a ton of information, but then Happy said he knew Peter's address.

Tony made sure to send Peter texts and a voicemail, so that Peter wouldn't be surprised when he arrived. He never got an answer, but he knew better than to think that Peter was going around without his phone.

It was a decent-sized apartment complex, and when Tony pulled into the parking lot in his camaro, it felt a little like when they first met. However, this time it wasn't the afternoon after a school day but an early Saturday morning. He was praying that Peter was still asleep or just waking up, and hadn't already gone out in an older spidersuit or something. He wasn't awake enough to track Peter down, if that was the case, despite the two espresso shots he had.

A young woman walked out and headed to her car, and Tony waited for her to leave before he grabbed the drink holder and paper bag from the passenger seat and got out. He locked the car behind him as he walked up the steps and pulled the door open. 213 was the apartment number he needed, and he wasted no time in finding it. But when he arrived, he hesitated. There was no identifying mark that said it belonged to Peter- no decorative plant or photo like some of the other apartments had. It seemed like a nice, close-knit community enough but Tony wondered if Peter had gotten along with anyone. He hoped Peter wasn't shutting everyone out now instead of just him.

He heard chatter from down the hall, which prompted him to knock on the door. He was wearing casual clothing but that meant little to nothing if people could see his face. The glasses weren't a disguise so much as they were just another part of Tony Stark.

His heart was beating too fast again. Pepper had always warned him about coffee and anxiety being a bad mix, but he was certain he wouldn't have been able to get his thoughts straight if he hadn't had coffee. The last thing he wanted was to be speechless and on the verge of a breakdown in front of Peter, again.

There was a shuffle from behind the door, the sound of a lock, and then a creak as it was opened slightly. Peter appeared, disheveled; wrinkled clothes, messy hair, and the sort of redness in the eyes that only came from crying hard for a long time.

"Fuck," Tony accidentally said out loud, merely a whisper.

Peter had heard it though, of course, and looked down at himself. "...Am I that bad?" He asked, voice deeper than usual- he had just woken up. Tony told himself not to save that away, but his brain already had. Peter looked at the drink tray and the paper bag. "Um, is that for me?" He asked timidly.

Tony just nodded.

"Oh thank god, I haven't had the chance to go grocery shopping." Peter opened the door wide, then turned around and disappeared into his kitchen. 

The apartment was new like the whole complex; it still smelled a little like paint. As Tony walked in and shut the door behind him, he looked around and saw that it was...homely. Decoration was sparse, but Peter had put up photos on the hallway walls. There was a nice couch and a flat-screen TV in the living room. The kitchen was the only place that was messy, to Tony's surprise. Take-out containers and pizza boxes were all over the counter.

Peter caught Tony looking. "...I'm supposed to get a recycle bin but they haven't given me one yet," he tried to explain. He then looked at the food again.

Tony handed it to him, and Peter was already tearing the bag open as he walked to the living room. Tony felt the urge to ask if he was always hungry like this, but he decided to save that conversation for at least until after Peter had eaten, so he merely followed Peter silently. He took a seat next to him and set the drink holder on the coffee table, and took one of the two frappe drinks for himself. He took his glasses off and put them in the pocket of his shirt, then glanced over.

After half of the breakfast burrito was already gone, Peter had finally slowed down to a normal eating pace. He seemed to notice the atmosphere, because without looking up from the burrito he said, "I know _how_ you're here. May or Happy had to have told you. I'm a little unclear of _why_ you're here, though." He sat up straight so he could reach and grab the other frappe. 

Tony could say a lot of things in reply to that. He could say that it was because he was upset about his calls getting ignored. He could say it was that Happy's 'he sounded fine on the phone' wasn't good enough. He could say it was because Peter hadn't reacted in the way Tony had expected, and he didn't like being left hanging. 

"I wanted to know that you were okay," is what he decided on, and he hated that Peter seemed surprised to hear it.

Peter moved himself to sit cross-legged and towards Tony. "I am," he promised. He must've seen Tony's look of doubt and how Tony's eyes scanned over him. "I- Are my eyes red? T-That's just because patrolling was a little rough last night. It's nothing." He ran a hand through his hair and gave Tony a sideways glance. "...Is that really why you're here?"

"Why else would I be?"

Peter fiddled with the straw in his drink. "Oh I don't know, so you could tell me that I'm on my own from now on? You made it sort of clear that you were done looking out for me. 'Just supposed to be a guide' or something like that?" He shrugged, "But maybe that's good because I think I'd be worse if you had thought of us as friends." Peter had said it all boldly, but his voice was unsteady and he couldn't look at Tony for more than a second.

Tony wasn't able to make a reply at first, unable to calm his thoughts and unable to say what was on the tip of his tongue. He made himself take a deep breath though, which helped. "You misunderstood me again. Did you really think that after all these years you were just a recruitment or a kid for me to mentor? You're my friend, Pete, and that's why I had to tell you. I wanted you to be aware of it. You going out and doing things on your own was just what I expected you to do, because I doubt you'll want to stick around now."

"Oh." 

" _Yeah_ , 'oh'."

"...So you didn't come here to take the suit?"

Tony stared at him. "Peter, you're twenty years old and that suit has more of your work put into it than mine. It's not mine to take away. ...I'm not here to say goodbye, unless you think that's the right thing for me to do." It was the last thing he wanted to do, but if Peter wanted that then who was he to refuse?

Peter had a look of pure uncertainty on his face. He set the frappe down, and turned to face Tony fully. It took him a few minutes to voice his thoughts in the right way. "Can I be honest with you?"

"You weren't being honest before?" Tony asked with mock surprise.

" _Tony_...MJ and I just didn't really work out, but I dreaded the breakup even if it was the right thing to do. It was because it would change us, because now we aren't the same and even though we're still friends we act different with each other. I guess I freaked out so much because now you and I can't be the same, and I really just hate that more than anything." 

"I couldn't let it go on forever," Tony replied quietly. 

"I know." Peter bit his lip and stared down at the carpet. His face grew a little red when he said, "I can't ask for things to be the same, and I- I don't want to make things hard on you, but I still want to do what we've always done. If that's okay."

Tony wasn't one to get embarrassed easily, yet here he was. Maybe it was because more often than not someone was telling him things like this, and not vice versa. "Well, if you're comfortable with it," he managed.

Peter just nodded. He had only gotten redder, and after a few minutes of silence and drinking his frappe too quickly just to busy himself, he asked: "So like, in general, what're the odds of Tony Stark liking you?"

Tony scoffed and stood up. He reached into the pocket of his dress pants and took out the mask Peter had left behind, and tossed it down onto the couch cushion. "Let's just say one in a billion."

Peter furrowed his eyebrows and frowned playfully. "Really? That's it?"

Tony admitted to himself right then that he loved to mess with Peter sometimes. "Well, odds can change."

Peter raised an eyebrow, and the corner of his mouth tugged upwards into a smile. 


End file.
